Removable curtain-rod for folding berths in sleeping-cars.



Patents d Dec. 3|,- I901.

N o,.689,865. H. m. asnanoox.

REMOVABLE CURTAIN ROD FOR FOLDING BERTHS IN SLEEPING CABS.

(Afi 'ncation filed Aug. 17, 1901.

(N0 Illodel.)

.AUB st:

$.73 zxjzwz UNITED STATES I I-IARRYM. ESTABROOK, OF DAYTON, OHIO, 'ASSIGNOR TO THE BARNEY 85 PATENT 'QFFICE.

SMITI-I OAR COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,865, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed August 17, 1901.'$eria11lo.'72,4=48. (N0 mind.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY M. ESTABROOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'West Monument avenue, in the city of Dayton, county of Montgomery, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Removable Curtain-Rods for Folding Berths in Sleeping-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a fu1l,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to removable curtainrods for folding berths in sleeping-cars and other places.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means whereby the berth curtain-rods can be supported on the removable headboards which form a part of the berth-partitions when the berths are arranged for use at night and whereby the rods can be easily and quickly removed from their supports and stored within the berth during the day-time when the berths are not in use, thus leaving the deck-space in the -car free from an appearance of curtain-rods and appurtenances thereto.

The means employed for carrying out my invention will be fully described in this specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of one of the end upper berths and a portion of the adjoining berth of an ordinary sleeping-car, the end berth being shown in a down position with the headboard and curtain-rod in posi tion for use and the adjoining berth being shown up. Fig. 21s a view, slightly in perspective, of one of the headboards detached from the berth and showing the socket for supporting one end of a red. I Fig. 3 is a broken front View of that portion of the headboard to which the supporting-sockets are attached and shows the sockets and rods in position, one side being in section through the center of the rod and the other side being shown in full. Fig. 4 is a top view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the double sockets detached from the headboard. Fig. 0 is a perspective View of one of the sockets used for supporting the rod on the permanent partition. Fig.7 shows a crosssection through the center of the guide-pin and bushing at the back of the headboard, and Fig. 8 is a vertical section through the center of Fig. 7. Figs. 2 to 8, inclusive, are of larger scale than Fig. 1.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings, in which A is theside wall of a sleeping-car; B, the lower-deck ceiling thereof; 0, fixed partitions which separate the upper berths and which extend from the side walls of the car to'a line with the face of the berth when closed, and D the end walls or permanent partitions, which form the ends of the usual series of jberthsections as arranged in an ordinary sleepingcar and which separate the sleeping-apartment from the other parts of the car.

E is a removable partition or headboard, one of which is employed at each berth-partition, and which are supported on seat-backs F to form continuations of partitions Owhen the berths are lowered. j

G represents the upper berths,'o ne of which is shown open or lowered and supported in such position by means of the usual springpulley H and chain I and the other of which is shown in an up position and out of use.

J representsthe upper-deck rail, K the wall of the upper deck, and L the upper-deck sash.

All of the aforesaid parts may be of the usual or other form of construction and form no vpart of my invention.

M represents sockets, preferably united by a bridge-piece a to straddle the headboard, and thereby contribute strength. Nrepresents a single socket used on the end wall or permanent partition. These sockets are formed by a back plate a, side wall of, and an overlapping flange of, as shown.

0 represents a guide-pin plate, and Z) a guide-pin.

P represents a guide-pin bushing-plate,and c a receptacle for the guide-pin.

Q represents the curtain-rods, which are detaehably supported in front of the berths in the following manner:

When the upper berths are to be made up for use, they are lowered, as shown at the right-hand side in Fig. 1, and the headboards placed in position. (Shown also in Fig. 1.) The guide-pin plate 0 is secured, preferably by screws, to the rear edge of the headboard, and the pin 1) enters the receptacle 0 of the bushing-plate P, which is secured to the front edge of the fixed section of the berth-partitions, preferably by screws, as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the function of the guidepin and its receptacle being to prevent dis placement of the headboard by tilting when weight is applied to the curtain-rod. The sockets M are secured to the top of each headboard, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and one of the sockets N is attached to each end wall or permanent partition in line with those on the headboard.

The curtain-rods are preferably made of iron gas-pipe, filled with wood, and are provided at their ends with heads R, having flanges (Z and e, the flange d fitting into the sockets M or N, as the case maybe, and preventing withdrawal of the rods without first raising them out of the sockets, while the flange c forms a space betweenit and flange d, which space is intended to receive the first hook of the adjoining curtain as the curtains are hung on the rods in the usual manner.

Within the sockets M and N, and secured at one end to the back plates thereof, is a springf, having attached to its free end a rounded or button-shaped piece g, which by the action of the spring is adapted to engage a corresponding recess 71, in the end of the head R, thus providing against lateral movement of the rods and necessitating an under pressure in order to release the rods from the sockets, and thereby securing them in place against undue displacement.

For the purpose of illustrating and describing my invention I have selected a sleepingcar of ordinary construction; but it is to be understood that the device is equally adaptable to other places where similar forms of berths are used, and it will be further ob-' served that a fixture for one berth can be entirely independent of that of another. It will also be understood that the curtain-rods can be removed from their supports and stored within the berths or in any other convenient place, that the flanges d and e, or either of them, may be omitted from one end of the rods, and that the details of construction may be otherwise modified without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I am familiar with the devices shown and described in United States Letters Patent Nos. 518,958 and 603,613, and I disclaim the constructions shown and described in said patents.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination with berth-partitions, of a curtain-rod having ends adapted to engage sockets, and sockets permanently secured to the partitions to receive said rods, the latter being removable from said sockets, substantially as described.

2. The combination with removable and fixed berth-partitions, of a curtain-rod having ends adapted to engage sockets, sockets permanently secured to the removable partitions to receive said rods, the latter being removable from said sockets, and means at the rear of said removable partitions for preventing undue displacement thereof, substantially as described.

3. The combination with removable and fixed partitions, of a curtain-rod having one or both ends provided with a flanged head adapted to engage sockets, and sockets secured to the partitions to receive said flanged heads and hold said rods in position, said rods being removable from said sockets, snbstan tially as described.

4. The combination with a removable and fixed berth-partition and an end wall or per-' manent partition, of a curtain-rod having ends adapted to engage sockets, sockets so cured to said partitions-one to said removable section and one to said end Wall or permanent partitionto receive said rods, the latter being removable from said sockets, and means for preventing undue displacement of said removable section, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a removable section of a berth-partition and an end wall or permanent partition, of a curtain-rod having one or both ends provided with a flanged head adapted to engage sockets, and sockets secured to said partitions-one to said removable section and one to said end wall or permanent partition to receive said flanged heads and hold said rod in position, said rod being removable from said sockets, substantially as described.

6. The combination with a removable sec tion of a berth-partition and an end wall or permanent partition, of a curtain-rod having one or both ends provided with a flanged head adapted to engage sockets, sockets secured to said partition-one to said removable section and one to said end wall or permanent partiti0nto receive said flanged head and hold said rod in position, and means for preventing undue displacement of said removable section, said rod being removable from said sockets, substantially as described.

7. In a curtain-rod fixture, the combination of a rod adapted to receive curtains, and having one or both ends provided with flanged heads, sockets adapted to receive said flanged heads and hold said rod in position, a recess formed in the ends of said flanged heads, and means for engaging said recess to prevent undue displacement of said rod, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a curtain-rod as Q IIO 10 seat-back F, sockets M and N, permanently secured to the partitions and removable rod Q, all constructed and arranged to operate substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of August, A. D. 1901. I 5

HARRY M. ESTABR OOK.

Witnesses:

E. A. OBLINGER, H. R. ROCHESTER. 

